Blown tire possible cause of school bus injury accident

LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) – A tire failure may have caused an injury accident on Interstate 64 involving a loaded school bus.

The accident was reported at 2:38 p.m. Tuesday in the westbound lanes at mile marker 23.2, just inside the Jefferson County line.

WAVE 3's Katie Bauer spoke to a truck driver who witnessed the crash. The trucker said the left front tire on the bus blew just before the bus lost control. The bus hit the center median wall and traveled for a short distance before coming to rest.

According to Ben Jackey, a spokesperson for Jefferson County Public Schools, 73 sophomore and junior students from Waggener High School, located in St. Matthews, were returning from a visit to a college campus to Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond.

Jackey said 42 students were on the bus that crashed. Thirty-five people were transported to area hospitals as a result of the crash.

Norton Spokesperson Brian Rublein confirmed 13 patients were transported to Kosair Children's Hospital downtown, two were taken to Kosair Children's Hospital off Brownsboro Road, six were taken to Norton on Brownsboro Road and two people were taken to Norton Suburban.

As of 9:30 p.m. four patients remained at Kosair Children's Hospital downtown and all other patients in Norton hospitals had been released.

David McArthur, with University of Louisville Hospital, said as of 9:46 p.m. the hospital discharged two patients. The rest of the patients will remain in the hospital overnight for injuries including broken bones and general observation.

Twelve patients were taken to University, 11 from the bus and one more from another vehicle. No one faced life threatening injuries.

The bus that crashed belongs to Commonwealth Bus Service of Louisville.

Louisville Metro Police, along with multiple fire and EMS crews from Jefferson and Shelby counties responded to the scene. A heavy wrecker was brought to the scene to remove the bus. Louisville Metro EMA setup a hotline for parents to locate their children.

All westbound lanes of I-64 were reopened shortly after 8 p.m.

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